Ms Keikanetswe said this during the LEA market day and roadshow in Ghanzi recently. She noted that LEA was initially geared towards assisting entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector, but shifted focus to assist Batswana in various sectors hence the new strategy.

She said the new strategy would see the organisation offering entrepreneurs interventions to all sectors of the economy.

She explained that LEA conducted research which was aimed at identifying and assessing business opportunities in the different regions across the country to select areas of economic activity which can give competitive edge to each other.

She said the strategy recognises the differing needs which local enterprises have and that through this strategy LEA will continue to strive to empower Batswana to start and grow their businesses.

Through this strategy, Ms Keikanetswe noted that there will be specific assistance given to micro business and small medium enterprises alike. She indicated that small enterprises are the engines of economic development in all countries in the world, saying they drive innovation and stimulate the country’s equitable growth and create self-employment to cease the challenges of unemployment.

Therefore, she noted that innovation and technology adoption lifts Botswana’s small enterprises to greater heights so that they are able to produce meaningfully to reduce the country’s high import bill.

For her part, CEDA customer aisor, Ms Shirley Motsumi said partnerships between LEA and its stakeholders such as CEDA, ministry of Agriculture and others were critical for LEA to achieve its mandate whose aim is to cultivate the culture of entrepreneurship amongst local enterprises.